Matrix optical sensors comprising a plurality of elementary optoelectronic detectors, commonly called pixels, connected to a charge coupled circuit having an spatial output are known.
Such a matrix optical sensor makes it possible to accurately determine the position of the laser spot in the field covered by the matrix optical sensor but does not make it possible to determine time parameters associated with the laser pulse having caused the laser spot (duration of the laser pulse, period of time between two successive laser pulses, etc.).
Now, in some applications, time parameters are used to identify the emitter of the laser pulse.
To obtain such time parameters, it has been considered to associate with the matrix optical sensor an additional external single-element sensor, such as a photodiode associated with an electronic amplification and thresholding circuit, which covers the same field as the matrix sensor and which is dedicated to the measurement of the time parameters. This solution however is not optimal.